Rating Curve

It's probably useful from a developer perspective to ease new players in to new mechanics at a more gradual rate than one per level, but Base after Base plays it so safe gameplay-wide despite the upbeat, arrogant tone of its structuring that it fails to impress as a whole. The player movements are just so limp in 80% of the level.

The best RobTop level, both from a tutorial perspective and in a vacuum. The out-of-the-box firepower that such a blaring future-techno soundtrack and aggressive, forward structuring provide is utilized perfectly to craft a truly mind-blowing climax that subsides only slightly into a landscape so harsh it feels almost alien. We're living in 2025 and even now, every time I hit play Dry Out convinces me that upside-down jumps and free-form ship sections are cutting-edge developments in level design. It really does feel like you've been left with an amazing burst of realization every time you hit the end wall. I might go as far as to say that this is the best pre-1.9 level in the entire game.

My only complaint about Polargeist is that I wish there was more of it - if not lengthwise then in the form of a more grandiose ending. That final stretch just feels a little unsatisfying after the vastness of the preceding ~50% given the song's intensity. Even so, wonderful color work and sheer, uncompromising architecture make for an invigorating experience.

Of the original 7, it's always been Back on Track that's the least memorable to me. That can be partly attributed to being flanked on either side by some of the most iconic and well-constructed levels in the game's history, but it's mostly the fault of the level failing to make the most of the song's most distinct and important moments - the whole level just feels kind of indifferent to its own difficulty and scale, and the introduction of jump pads was never particularly impressive itself. There's still some interesting weight to the ship and ending cube, at least.

Obviously, the tutorial appeal of RobTop levels wears off over time, but there's certainly something to be said about how effectively Rob's 1.0 levels communicate their progression tonally - Stereo Madness's loud red breakdown being followed up with the game's most spacious ending sequence will be iconic for all time, and 1.0 visuals do have a certain classic sharpness to them that almost feels retrofuturist. Maybe that's just nostalgia talking.

I would be able to overlook the playing experience being pretty tedious if the way the album covers were used felt novel or interesting, but that most of the creators didn't go any further than using album iconography as block design feels pretty unsatisfying. Not that every single one had to be some super clever implementation into GD - Promises, Kid A, and Selected Ambient Works lend themselves well to being used as structuring with how sharp and iconic they are, but plenty of other parts don't seem to have anything to offer past mild amusement or satisfaction at their inclusion. And there were some total gimmes here that would have been pretty fun. What do you mean the player doesn't flip and take Carti's place on Die Lit? What do you mean I don't jump on the radio waves of Unknown Pleasures until they assume the correct orientation? We couldn't figure anything out with The Dark Side of the Moon? A lot of this level just feels cheap at the end of the day, like Nantendo for a slightly older audience.

The visuals being as captivating as they are only adds to the frustration I feel as a result of Out of Place's incredibly disengaging gameplay. Not unengaging, disengaging - if it was merely some 2.0-style on-rails ship gameplay that was extremely easy it would be a 6/10ish, but this layout manages to be tactilely boring while simultaneously requiring enough engagement that you can't widen your lens to soak in the elaborate visual sequences. Funnily enough, the tedious "ship in the middle of the screen" parts are the most inoffensive, it's the segments with unclear obstacles or awful slow-mo that really kill this level. I'll still give it this score because the viewing experience is worth something on its own, but this level is in no way a rebuttal of the wider space gauntlet's gameplay being careless in service of the YouTube audience - it just happens to actually look great for once.

>Look inside

>Most orthodox megacollab ever

Niflheim's long been showered in both affection and ridicule for how angsty and theatrical it is (most prominently manifesting in its iconic text), but I really can't help but love how enthusiastically it pursues a creative and compelling idea - the spirit's journey to the pristine, misty afterlife unceremoniously running through a chilling industrial maze is reflected perfectly in sharp changes in visual clarity and difficulty, and it certainly doesn't hurt that vismuth's timelessly fun gameplay is as its most impactful here.

Exhausting in the best possible way. I like Hinds' bold, lo-fi visuals as much as the next guy, and Psychosis is certainly fun, but what pushes it to the next level is how much mental stamina is required to succeed - this layout's awkward and imprecise in all the right places and it's incredibly easy to go wildly off course despite it not actually being very strict timing-wise. It's the perfect tactile accompaniment to such a staunch, oppressive set of audiovisuals.